Buying a used 8, need your advice
 

Hi all

I am new to this forum.
I found a what seems well maintained 8 as you drive it but it has a few "flaws" so I wanted your opinion about this particular car.

-original engine
-65 000 km ( ~40300 miles)
-second owner ( I would be third)
-regularly serviced at Mazda service
-original CAT (exhaust has a "weird" sound when the car starts at low rpm altho it could be my imagination)
-Coils changed at 63 500 km ( ~39500 miles)
-plug wires never changed
-plug coils never changed
-never flooded
-original seals
-1L oil on 10000km
-gas consumption standard
-starter is still original
-cranking time when cold aprox 2.00-2.35 seconds
-maf, ess never cleaned (is not stated in papers provided by service nor does the owner know if it was cleaned)
-air filter changed at 60000 km
-as I pulled out "stick" for oil measurement (I am not native English speaker so please don't mind my bad grammar/wrong word usage) it had some foamy brownish stuff on it, I am not sure if that should be like that
-when i put the car in idle, and released clutch it sounded like it was mildly grinding on something, as i pressed clutch again no sound was emitted, during driving and normal gear shifting there was no weird sound present
-owner didn't use premix
-owner does wait for the car to heat up before driving it
-motor compression test was not made so I asked him to make one, results will come tomorrow and I'll post them here if he won't sell the car in the meantime


He is asking for 6500 euros for that 8 (note that I live in foreign country in witch that money equivalents around 8000-8200 euros in Germany).

Is the car worth that money? How badly could the not changed parts effect life span of the engine/car? Any other advices?

Will need a new clutch and pressure plate and flywheel resurfacing.

By the sounds of it, it will need a lot of general maintenance done before you should hot rod it around town.

Ask him to change the oil and drive it for a few days? Check oil again.

Price up new coils plugs and wires and clutch kit and have him take that off the ask price as those will be needy very soon.

I personally wouldn't buy it if you're new to the rotary engine.

Good luck!

The grinding sound could be the throw out bearing. If it sounds like something spinning as you take your foot off the pedal, it's probably, probably, the throwout bearing. It's not a big deal. Mines been making slight noise for 30k miles.

Do not trust anyone to do the compression test unless you are there to witness it. Also, make sure to do the compression test with the engine fully warmed up. Cold engine can give misleading results.